Surge in gas prices bring surge in train riders

Amtrak officials are crediting higher gas prices with a surge in riders on the Pacific Surfliner train, which runs along the coast between San Luis Obispo and San Diego. The scenic route is one of three California Amtrak trains managed by Caltrans.

Caltrans officials said that all three of the California lines are doing well, and a recent report shows that ridership on the Surfliner is up almost 5 percent since October, compared to last year. Figures from June are not available yet, but in May, the number of riders had grown almost 6 percent.

Nationally, the trend was amplified, with some lines seeing an increase of more than 30 percent from the prior year.